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    The Life Jolie » Sides » Easy Sauteed Green Beans

    Easy Sauteed Green Beans

    Published: Apr 13, 2020 · Modified: Aug 31, 2022 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Garlic Green Beans are a family favorite side dish recipe. They're super easy to make with a few simple ingredients like fresh green beans, garlic, butter and fresh parsley and are pretty quick to! Easy enough for weeknight dinner but special enough to serve for holiday dinners as well!

    These Easy Green Beans are easy enough for weeknight dinner but special enough to serve for holiday dinners as well! It's a family favorite recipe will be your go-to vegetable side dish!

    A close up side angle shot of string beans in a pan with a wooden spoon

    Some of my other favorite green bean recipes include Savory Green Beans with mushrooms, and Green Bean Salad.

    Nanou's Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic

    This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.

    When you love food as much as I do, there is nothing better than marrying into a family full of excellent cooks. So I did just that! As I mentioned in this post and this post, J's mom makes some pretty delicious food. This makes sense considering the fact that she learned from one of the best, J's grandma, who we all affectionately call Nanou.

    She also had some incredible recipes, which she was gracious enough to share with us. One such mainstay at our dinner table is her garlic green beans recipe aka the perfect side dish for any dinner. Blanched or steamed green beans that are then sautéed in a large skillet in mix of butter and olive oil. Minced garlic adds that rich, garlicky flavor without being overwhelming and fresh parsley adds the perfect amount of herbaceous freshness.

    A close up shot of garlic green beans on a plate

    Tips for how to cook green beans:

    • Use fresh green beans for this green bean recipe. Sure, canned or frozen can be slightly quicker, but the fresh ones have the very best texture.
    • Blanching to start cooking green beans is helpful in speeding up the saute process later in the recipe and helping get just the right texture, but make sure you run them under cold water immediately after (or plunge them into an ice bath) to stop the cooking process until you add the green beans to the saute pan. That way, you'll end up with the perfect tender crisp texture we all love.
    • Give the fresh garlic a couple minutes to saute in the butter and olive oil over medium high heat before adding the green beans. One of the first times I made this, I was rushing through it and didn't let the garlic cook much. As you can imagine, we were all in for a rude awakening in that first bite! Still tasty, but letting it cooking a bit will develop that delicious garlic flavor without the edge.
    • When you season with salt and pepper, start with a small amount and taste it as you go so that they are seasoned to your liking.
    • Don't skip the parsley! Seriously, this makes the sautéed green beans dish!

    An overhead image of green beans in a saute pan.

    How do I prepare the green beans for cooking?

    I trim the ends off of the beans and then they're ready to go!

    Can I blanch green beans ahead of time?

    Yes! The key is getting them right into an ice bath/cold water to stop the cooking. Cover and refrigerate until it's time to saute. You can also make the entire recipe ahead and then reheat before serving. It reheats beautifully.

    Can I saute string beans without blanching?

    Yes, you'll just need to adjust the cooking time to get the texture you want.

    Can I use frozen or canned beans?

    This recipe is at its absolute best with fresh green beans That said, frozen will work in a pinch, just skip the blanching and add them directly to the pan. I really don't encourage you to use canned as they're already super soft but if thats all you have, just be sure to wait until the very end to add them.

    What do I season green beans with?

    This recipe only uses salt, pepper, fresh garlic and parsley. I know that sounds minimal, but trust me, it packs a punch!

    A close up overhead image of sauteed green beans

    Ingredients for making String Beans

    • Fresh green beans
    • Butter
    • Olive oil
    • Fresh garlic
    • Kosher salt
    • Black pepper
    • Fresh chopped parsley

    Ingredients to prep ahead:

    • Trim and blanch green beans
    • Peel garlic

    Helpful tools:

    1. Garlic press
    2. Large saute pan
    3. Wooden spoon
    4. Saucepan
    5. Chef's knife
    6. Cutting board

    A plate of fresh green beans with garlic

    Video Tutorial for making Easy Sauteed Green Beans

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    Garlic Green Beans are a family favorite side dish recipe. They're super easy to make with a few simple ingredients like fresh green beans, garlic, butter and fresh parsley and are pretty quick to! Easy enough for weeknight dinner but special enough to serve for holiday dinners as well!

    Easy Sauteed Green Beans

    Jessy Freimann
    Easy Sauteed Green Beans are a family favorite side dish recipe. They're super easy to make with a few simple ingredients like fresh green beans, garlic, butter and fresh parsley and are pretty quick to! Easy enough for weeknight dinner but special enough to serve for holiday dinners as well! 
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
    • 2-4 Tablespoons salted butter (you can halve it with olive oil if you want to make it a bit healthier)
    • 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
    • Kosher salt, to taste
    • Ground black pepper. to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Blanch the green beans for around 7-8 minutes and drain well. Run under cold water to stop cooking.
    • In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
    • Add the garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant.
    • Add the beans and the parsley and mix all together.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Please note- like all the best family recipes, there are no true amounts, it all goes by taste (and really, I always encourage you to taste your food as you go along!). That being said, the measurements given are based on how I make it when I cook it for my family. Feel free to adjust the amounts as per your preference.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3

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    Linked up at    Garlic Green Beans is one of my favorite side dish recipes! It's easy to make and pretty healthy with Crispy Green Beans sauteed in a skillet. Fresh parley adds a great, herbaceous brightness with a little bit of butter and garlic. This is special enough food for Thanksgiving or any other holiday meal and also great in a pinch on a busy weeknight!
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    Comments

    1. Marina @ Parental Journey says

      September 13, 2016 at 2:06 am

      I really love green beans - and this recipe seems easy enough to put it on my menu calendar :)
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        September 13, 2016 at 5:04 pm

        Me too, Marina- it's so easy and delicious!
        Reply
    2. Kate says

      September 13, 2016 at 5:42 pm

      This would be perfect with a roast or for Thanksgiving! Thanks for joining us this week at the Merry Monday link party! We hope you can join us again next week! Kate | TheOrganizedDream.com
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        September 15, 2016 at 10:14 am

        Thank you- there will definitely be part of our Thanksgiving dinner!
        Reply
    3. CJ @ Morsels of Life says

      September 17, 2016 at 7:05 am

      These look like some delicious green beans! I bet the garlic adds such wonderful flavor. :)
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        September 19, 2016 at 2:21 pm

        Thank you- Garlic makes everything better :)
        Reply
    4. Fiona Saluk says

      November 07, 2016 at 9:20 pm

      I literally have had a bag of green beans sitting in my fridge the past few days and I couldn't figure out what to do with them...this is simple but perfect! Tomorrow's dinner it is!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        November 08, 2016 at 10:33 am

        Awesome- please let me know how you like them :)
        Reply
    5. Lauren says

      November 19, 2016 at 7:09 pm

      I'm going to try and add a dash of fresh Parmesan cheese!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        November 20, 2016 at 8:53 pm

        Lauren that's an excellent idea- I bet it'll be fantastic! Let me know how you like it :)
        Reply
    6. Kim says

      June 18, 2017 at 7:14 pm

      Oh so good! My grandson is a picky eater - he asked for more!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        June 18, 2017 at 10:14 pm

        Awwwww, I'm so happy to hear that! I know Nanou would have been thrilled about this comment if she were here!
        Reply
    7. Carolyn Ingram says

      November 03, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      This looks amazing!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        November 03, 2017 at 11:34 pm

        Thanks Carolyn :)
        Reply
    8. Faith McLamb says

      November 23, 2017 at 1:46 pm

      Do you know the carb/calorie count? :)
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        November 24, 2017 at 8:45 am

        Hi Faith- Sorry, I don't have that info. But you can plug the ingredients into a calorie calculator like caloriecount.com. Happy Thanksgiving!
        Reply
    9. Kay Sass says

      December 02, 2018 at 4:29 pm

      Pairs great with baked chicken breasts! Delicious, thanks!
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        December 02, 2018 at 6:36 pm

        So glad you liked them- mmmmm baked chicken sounds awesome with them!
        Reply
    10. Dennis Kitsman says

      January 30, 2019 at 10:20 pm

      Delicious and easy to do! Everyone raved about them. Thanks!
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        February 01, 2019 at 3:37 pm

        Hi Dennis- so glad you love this recipe as much as we do :)
        Reply
    11. Linda says

      November 25, 2019 at 8:41 am

      Is it possible that the amount of seasoning will be enough for family from Louisiana? They like dishes well seasoned. Thank you and it sounds delicious.
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        November 25, 2019 at 2:54 pm

        Hi Linda! Everyone has different tastes and the biggest piece of advice I can give for any cooking would be to taste it and adjust the seasonings to your taste. It's simple flavors but they really sing when you mix them together. Enjoy!
        Reply
    12. Rose says

      September 17, 2020 at 10:05 am

      Can’t wait to cook it tomorrow night! I eat sauteed dishes all year long. Will add ginger to your recipe. thanks for sharing such tasty and aromatic dish recipe. keep sharing more stuff.
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        October 27, 2020 at 11:02 pm

        Yum- I bet ginger will be delicious! Enjoy <3
        Reply
    13. Darlene S. Reiter says

      September 29, 2021 at 12:35 pm

      Came out perfectly and crunchy. I added 1-2 more garlic cloves and toasted them just right. Simply Salt/Pepper/Parsley made the perfect green beans. Thank you. P.S. made them with Smash Burgers
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        October 15, 2021 at 3:07 pm

        Glad to hear you enjoyed them :)
        Reply
    14. Darlene Serrano-Reiter says

      October 03, 2021 at 12:08 pm

      VERY good green bean recipe. Have made it twice already and my family loves them on the side of smash burgers and chicken marsala. Thank you.
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        October 15, 2021 at 3:07 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them!
        Reply

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